In a swift, cross-border security operation, a combined team of tactical operatives from the Lagos and Ogun State Police Commands, under the code name, Operation Kosaye, has successfully rescued five individuals who were abducted near the Ogbere Forest axis in Ogun State.
The coordinated rescue mission was completed in less than 25 hours following the initial abduction on Wednesday, showcasing an unprecedented level of inter-state security collaboration.
Operation KOSAYE: “No Space” for criminals
The victims were liberated under a specialised joint operational directive codenamed Operation KOSAYE—a Yoruba phrase meaning “No Space”—newly activated to deny kidnappers and bandits any operational safe haven along the border forests linking Lagos and Ogun states.
The criminal syndicate had reportedly staged an ambush on Wednesday along the busy corridor, seizing the commuters and dragging them into the deep thickets of the Ogbere Forest reserve.
Upon receiving the distress call, the police high commands in both Lagos and Ogun immediately deployed intelligence resources and tactical units, blockading known escape paths and aggressively tracking the gang’s coordinates deeper into the bush.
Swift intervention amid gunfire and casualties
The violent nature of the initial abduction became clearer as details emerged on Thursday. During the initial attack on Wednesday, a female commuter was shot and severely wounded by the gunmen as they forced the victims into captivity.
While she received medical attention, her daughter and sister were identified among the five individuals successfully extracted unharmed by the joint police forces during the intensive Thursday morning assault.
Despite the operational pressure forcing the kidnappers to abandon their hostages, security forces are continuing to comb the Ogbere forest lines to track down fleeing members of the syndicate, many of whom are believed to have escaped with gunshot wounds.
Heightened border policing
The success of Operation KOSAYE underscores a strategic shift toward intelligence-led, joint-command operations aimed at securing southwestern transit corridors.
The dense forest networks stretching across Ogun State’s boundaries have recently been targeted by state police commands in a bid to dismantle camp networks used by cross-border criminal networks for holding hostages.
Spokespersons for the commands are expected to release official statements detailing the identities of all rescued victims following comprehensive medical screenings and debriefings.
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